GOYANG, South Korea—Kim Hong Sin, the first author to sell more than a million of his books in South Korea and a former congressman, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company’s last show in South Korea, in Goyang on Jan. 30. He wholeheartedly praised Shen Yun, saying, “Could those movements possibly be done by ordinary mortals?”
Mr. Kim is South Korea’s leading writer. Having a rich life experience and a solid foundation of sinology, he is known for being a prolific author. His novel “Human Market,” which exposes society’s dark side and upholds justice was the first book to sell more than a million copies in South Korea.
In the three years after he left the political field, he published a series of ten historical novels about northeast China. Two years later, he published another five books on the same topic for youth.
During the eight years he served as a Congressman, he received a first every year in the evaluation of his government activities. He is generally known as a man of integrity and honesty.
After seeing the show, Mr. Kim told of his inner being emanating awe and joy: “[Shen Yun] is a perfect show that combines hi-tech [backdrops] with classical art. It is magnificent and majestic. It’s fantastic, and as beautiful as a dream. It is permeated with the actors’ modesty.”
Mr. Kim was deeply moved by the dance piece “Our Story,” about a teacher in China who writes the words “truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance,” on a chalkboard for her students. These are the core tenets of the spiritual discipline Falun Dafa, which is persecuted in China by the country’s ruling regime. In the scene, Chinese policeman burst in and attempt to arrest the teacher. Her students stand up to the injustice being done and are rewarded with a heavenly scene.
“It’s human nature to have a belief and to follow a discipline. This human nature was deprived [in this piece], and the person was persecuted. However, she got supernatural help by the end of the story,” said Mr. Kim. “History will eventually reveal who’s righteous and who’s evil. History will justly evaluate those who are persecuted, in the end. Jesus and Sakyamuni Buddha were persecuted when they were alive, but wasn’t the truth revealed to all in the end? I’m really happy to have seen the show.”
He was greatly amazed by and gave abundant praise to the classical Chinese dancers. “Could those movements possibly be done by ordinary mortals?” Kim said admiringly. “A magnificent momentum of the soul sparkled through their [the dancers’] body movements. No matter how much special pay the actors get, if they do not have belief and enthusiasm, it’s simply impossible for them to dance at such a level of dancing.”
Explaining deeper, he said: “The movements of the dancers express different states of all things in the world, such as the states that come from the combination of movement and stillness, of warmth and heat, etc.”
Mr. Kim also mentioned the backdrops. He said it was really rare to see such realistic backdrops integrated with dancing. “It really has originality of its own. The performance made an ingenious integration of backdrops and live action, so accurately combined.”
He also remarked on the colors and the costumes in the show: “They’re really the top of world-class. There are different costumes and colors in China’s vast regions. It [the performance] creatively and coherently combined the colorful, largely brilliant and gorgeous, colors.”
“The more I saw Shen Yun, the more magnificent I felt,” he said.
“I often see different kinds of shows. At first, because [Shen Yun is] not from my country, it felt a bit unfamiliar. However, as the show went on, I experienced and understood the different cultures and thoughts of different ethnic groups living in China. Before I knew it, I felt the majesty of show.”
Speaking about the themes of the show, Mr. Kim said, “What humans have in their nature, such as integrity, health, respect of human nature, the concepts that look into the future, will ultimately be recovered even if there are obstacles at present. Dreams will absolutely be fulfilled.”
Mr. Kim noted one theme in particular, that of joy coming out of the experience of suffering. He said that looking at the movements of the dancers, “the compassion of Falun Gong practitioners” was displayed in the performance.
“Generally speaking, comedies have happy endings, while those [performances] that end with damage, misfortune, or sadness are tragedies ... only tragedies leave a [sour] aftertaste,” he said. Shen Yun was unusual in his view in that some of the dance pieces are able to present a “sad story with a happy ending.”
“Shen Yun is a show that runs from the ancient to the modern. It brings people happiness and gives people something to remember afterward as well. In addition, it brings you joy from the victory over suffering. Without pain, how can there be the joy and happiness? I feel that Shen Yun has represented all this,” he enthused.
With Shen Yun leaving South Korea, Mr. Kim is enthusiastically looked forward to seeing Shen Yun next year. “The ultimate goal of art is to soothe the soul and spirit. I hope that Shen Yun’s arrival will always be looked forward to.”
“I understand there will be new programs next year, so I must come again.”
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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